


Anticipations

by tearable_puns



Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Poldark - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24419569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearable_puns/pseuds/tearable_puns
Summary: Ross takes care of Demelza while they're expecting Jeremy. Canon, set between 2x03 and 2x04. Pure wish fulfilment.
Relationships: Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	Anticipations

**Author's Note:**

> This is pure wish fulfilment, pure fluff with a little dose of angst. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment!

Ross found Demelza fast asleep when he came back from the mine. He had been late getting back, and was duly informed by Prudie that the mistress was sleeping. _It is quite unlike Demelza to be sleeping right now, she is usually up when I come back from the mine._ Realisation dawned on him quickly. _The baby._ He still found it a little hard to accept that she was with child again, and the prospect scared him, if he were honest. He didn't want to love this child, only to lose him or her so cruelly. He was sure his heart couldn't bear it. But for Demelza's sake, he promised himself he would try. 

He opened the door gently, avoiding the creaky floorboard and tried not to wake her. But she'd always been a light sleeper and stirred when he came in. She sat up a little, her hair a mess around her face. Her hand automatically went to the gentle swell of their child as she sat up straight in bed, sighing a little. She winced as she tried to settle in among the pillows. She was wearing her nightgown, and her face sleepy. That moment, she looked more beautiful than words, while her eyes followed him across the room. Ross smiled to himself as he stared at her, his eyes crinkling. 

"What are you smiling at?" She asked him, a playful smirk on her face. 

"I was just thinking about how beautiful you look," he told her honestly. She blushed when she said this, and turned her face away. The feeling in her heart when he said these things to her were indescribable, she felt as if her heart would burst. 

"Have you had dinner yet?" Ross asked her, shrugging off his coat and laying it over the chair. 

"We-ll, no. I wasn't hungry. I was sick earlier and I was tired, so I decided to sleep for some time." She knew he wouldn't approve of this, but she knew there was no point in lying, he'd goad the truth out of her, one way or the other. 

She was right, he looked a little angry. He turned to her, looking exasperated. "Demelza, how many times must I tell you to take care of yourself? Is not eating taking care of yourself? And the baby?"

His worry when she was pregnant knew no bounds. He knew this annoyed her, the way he treated her like she'd break. What he didn't know was that she secretly enjoyed his attentions, making her feel loved, wanted and cared for, above all. 

"But I wasn't able to hold anything down - how am I supposed to eat a meal then?" She demanded of him, her chin tilting up. 

"Have some fruit then - or some bread." His voice was gentler. He had been afraid of an outburst from her, and didn't want to provoke her any further. He came and sat down next to her, and took her hand in his. "I worry about you, my dear. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you." Her face lost that teasing smirk, and she covered his hand with her other. "I'm afraid you can't get rid of me that easily, Captain." She was trying to fight laughter in her voice, and she brought their clasped hands up to her lips and kissed it. 

He smiled at her, and stroked her abdomen gently, hoping to feel the baby kick. When it had happened with Julia, he had no words to describe it and looked forward to every time their baby made its presence felt. He moved closer to kiss her, and felt her smiling when he pressed his lips to hers. Her hands came up to the nape of his neck, tangling through his hair. Her nails scratched at his scalp, and he moaned into her mouth. But he was determined to make her have her food before she could reduce him to putty. He pulled away with great difficulty, and asked her, "so what will you have for dinner, ma'am? Shall I bring up some bread and fruit?"

She quickly kissed him, once, twice and said, "If I must," she said with a grimace. She stroked his face, delighting in the rasp of his stubble. Her desire for him only heightened when she was pregnant, and she so badly wanted to have him, but he seemed adamant. He got up and made to walk out of the room when she called out, "a little port too, Ross!" 

He turned around and pursed his lips, but she knew him too well to take it seriously. 

He came back without much delay, his arms laden with a plate of food and a crystal decanter. He placed them on the table next her, and got a glass from the table in the room. He poured some port into it and handed it to her. 

She took a sip of the port and nibbled on a small piece of the bread. He went and sat at the foot of the bed, and took her feet into his lap. He knew her feet would be swollen and sore, and proceeded to massage them. She closed her eyes mid-bite and sighed appreciatively. "Thank you, that feels divine," she breathed. She continued to eat while he pressed her legs. 

Sometime later, when she was done with eating and was drinking her port, he felt her toes stroke him through his breeches. He groaned, and tried to move her foot away from him, but without success. Her face was the picture of innocence as she continued her ministrations, looking at him through the rim of her glass. He groaned again, " _ Demelza,"  _ he warned painfully. 

"Yes, Ross?" Her face didn't betray her thoughts as she looked at him quizzically. He had been worried about their intimacies when she was pregnant with Julia, but she had quickly put those thoughts aside, and he remembered the countless nights (and days sometimes) they'd made love, a blush rising on his face. She always felt conscious of her body when she was child, despite his promises that she still was desirable to him, perhaps even more so. 

"Demelza, I would lay you on this bed and make love to you," taking her foot and firmly placing it on the bed. "I don't want to hurt you or the baby," he mumbled, knowing she'd dismiss it promptly. 

"Ross," she began gently, "you wouldn't hurt me. Nothing is going to go wrong, I promise." He was amazed by her innate patience in explaining this to him. He had the same concerns the last time too and she'd reassured him countless times. He nodded, and moved closer to her. He took her face in his hands and kissed her, the last of his apprehension leaving him. The kisses grew more intense as he dragged his lips from hers to the lovely spot between her neck and shoulder. He grinned against her neck when she breathed, " _ Ross,"  _ and worked harder to work a mark onto her neck. She undid the buttons of his waistcoat in haste, and slipped the braces from his shoulders. She lay back on the bed, looking at him while he removed his remaining clothes, and giggled when his head got stuck in his shirt. He glared at her and joined her on the bed, her nightgown joining his clothes on the floor.

* * *

Later, much later, they lay awake on the bed, talking. She loved to lie on her side, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her. She hated that she couldn't do that now, and she was lying on her back. Instead he lay on his side, his head in the crook of her neck, caressing her bump. She shivered and pulled the blanket around her more securely. He raised his head from her neck, and looked at her with concern. "Are you cold, my darling?" "A little bit, yes. Can you fetch my nightgown for me?" He kissed her on the lips before getting up from bed and picked up her nightgown from where it had fallen. He could feel her eyes on his body, and he couldn't help but ask, "see something you like, ma'am?" 

He handed her the garment, and she said, "You know I do, Ross," She smiled cheekily at him as she shook out the gown and proceeded to put it on. He felt quite cold as well, and got out a nightshirt from the wardrobe. He put it on and went back to the bed, where she was dressed and tucked warmly beneath the covers. He slipped under the blanket and lay on his side, his right hand supporting his head. His other hand was entwined with hers on her bump, his thumb occasionally tracing patterns on her body. She lay in his embrace, content and sated. 

They stayed like this for some time, lost in the feel of each other's bodies and in their quiet reflections. 

"How about the name Claude Anthony?" Demelza's quiet voice broke his reverie. He was surprised that she knew his name, he couldn't remember talking about his brother to her. For some strange reason, he could never talk about his parents or brother to her, and she never pressed him. She must have seen their graves, for Julia was buried with the previous generations of Nampara Poldarks, and she must have noticed it. She would have surmised that he had a brother from the headstone, or asked Prudie. 

She looked at him expectantly while he was lost in his thoughts, waiting for him to speak. 

"Don't you think it's too old fashioned?" 

"Well, it's no more old fashioned that Ross, at any rate," she said, suppressing a laugh.  _ She seemed playful tonight, all teasing glances and touches.  _ He didn't mind that, at any rate. 

"What's wrong with my name, if I may ask?"  _ Two can play at a game, my dear.  _ "You were saying that particular name out loud, moments ago. It didn't sound like you minded it at all." 

_ That  _ caused her to blush furiously and she cried, " _ Ross!"  _ He smiled smugly at her, and said, "see, not unlike that." The flush of her cheeks became even more pronounced, and he dipped his head to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he was careful to stay on his side. Their kiss became more passionate as he licked into her mouth, tasting the port she'd had with dinner. They broke apart with much difficulty, breathless and flushed. 

He laid on his side, his head on the pillow and observed her. He brushed the stray tendrils of her hair away from her face, and she brought his hands to her lips and kissed it. 

"What about Joshua then?" He seemed taken aback at her suggestion. His father had been notorious in many ways, and he was sure she had heard about them. He deflected the question with one of his own, "how are you so sure it's going to be a boy?" She turned her head and looked at him straight in the eye. "I just have a feeling," she said simply. He trusted her, for the last time she said it would be a girl.  _ Mother's intuition, perhaps.  _

"You do know that he was a notorious womanizer, don't you?" She had known him too long too well to be surprised by his bluntness. She snuggled a little closer to him, and he brought his arm around her. 

"I might have heard some things about him," she said diplomatically. Ross barked a laugh, for Demelza couldn't be unkind to someone she didn't even know. He didn't believe in God, but he was grateful everyday, for having given her to him and him to her. He snapped out of his thoughts before Demelza asked him what he was thinking about. 

"I wouldn't want to burden our child with the ghosts of the past, my love. Especially not those of my father's, our son doesn't deserve it. Don't you think that he should be allowed to create an identity for himself?" Demelza contemplated his words as she rested her hand on her belly, savouring the feel of their baby under her palms. 

She spoke in a low voice, "what do you think, hmm? Do you agree with Papa?" Ross' eyes felt moist as he observed this exchange. As first time parents, they had been worried about so many things. Demelza's unspoken concerns were about whether she'd be a good mother, he knew. She had lost her mother very young and her father had been extremely cruel to her. The love she had had for their daughter had amazed him, the affection and tenderness with which she'd cared for her beyond measure. He loved her, more than anything else in the world, and he'd be lost without her. He choked back his tears, "I - I love you so much, Demelza." 

She raised her head to look at him, surprised by the suddenness of his words. The moments he told her things like these were the ones she cherished the most. She felt overcome by emotions and leaned forward to kiss him. She pressed a kiss to his lips and felt him smiling in response. "I love you too, Ross." She adjusted her pillow a little and laid back. 

"If you don't want him to be named Joshua, it's quite alright, I understand. Do you have any names in mind?" 

"I haven't really thought about it," Ross answered truthfully. Between their finances and the mine, he hadn't given much thought to the coming child. He found himself thinking about baby names, the things they'd do with their baby, when she was expecting Julia.  _ Enough! There's no point in comparing her and this child. She's gone, and she's taken all the happiness. No. No. This baby deserves a place in my heart, and I shall cherish him or her as much as I did Julia.  _

"James?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't feel right."

Similar arguments followed for William, Edward, Thomas. "Maybe we should just call him Ross and be done with it," she said, looking sidways at him. He huffed. 

"How about Henry?" She looked intrigued by this idea, and nodded her head slowly. "It does sound nice, yes. But it doesn't just fit." 

"We'll save it for another day, hmmm?" Her face broke out into the widest smile as she felt his words sink in. She'd refused to consider the possibility of more children after this one, worried about Ross' reaction. He had begrudgingly accepted the fact that she was pregnant again, and she felt as if she couldn't go through it again. Now, he'd given her a reason to hope, and that thought warmed her heart.

He looked at her, she looked very content and happy in that moment. There had been such little happiness and peace between them of late. He placed his hand on top of hers, on her bump. 

"What about Jeremy?" 

Her face broke out into a smile, and she nodded sleepily. "Jeremy Poldark, I like it. Do you like it, my lover?" She felt him move within her that moment and she looked at Ross. No words were needed. Her eyes drifted shut, and she soon succumbed to sleep, dreaming of little black haired boys with blue-green eyes.

  
  



End file.
